Album Review: Veronica Falls - Waiting For Something To Happen

Since their debut album in 2011, London quartet Veronica Falls have done a little bit of growing up, and it's quite apparent in their second album, Waiting For Something To Happen. The band have dropped their dark-and-brooding front and replaced it with more refined pop gems. Nothing about the album seems overdone – each song is executed with an admirable ease that makes listening to it a comfortable experience.

The perfectly harmonised vocals of Roxanne Clifford and James Hoare embed themselves neatly into each track, but shift between the driving force of the song and gentle accompaniment. Tell Me opens the album with a display of confidence in the vocals backed by bolder instrumentation that is lost in the following song. The diminished strength of the previous track is made up for in the sweet carelessness of Teenage. The harmonies sit delicately within the blend of equally sugary pop melodies, playfully mingling together to create a warm, nostalgic atmosphere, encouraging the listener that “everything is alright”.

In accordance to the musical growth of Veronica Falls, the album pieces together a coming of age narrative. Shooting Star operates with a curious pace, outlining the protagonist's state of limbo and desire for direction, while Everybody's Changing denotes the harsh reality of change, and a fear of failing to do so while others are in the process of personal growth. The progression of Waiting For Something To Happen sees things turn from light-hearted to emotionally driven, resulting in a pleasantly well-formed album.